Warning

Warning
In the book of Obadiah we read,
“The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your head.” Obadiah 1:15.
Here is a warning to all people presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, politicians, religious leaders, and the average person. “Your deeds will return upon your head”
Jesus said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
You could take Matthew 7:12 this way. If you are harming others then it could be assumed you want others to harm you. If you are doing anything bad to others, then it could be interpreted that you want bad things to happen to you. As Obadiah said, “...As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your head”
Jesus told this parable within which is a warning. He said,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ Luke 16:19-26.
Jesus when asked,
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 
Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.'  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40
Matthew also recording Jesus as saying,
"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'  
      But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,..." Matthew 5:43,44.
So if you consider yourself a Christian are you doing to others what you would have others do to you?
When you stand before God what will He say to you?
Please think about it.

Warning to the Wealthy

Warning to the Wealthy
The Epistle of James states,
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.   Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  
You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.” James 5:1-6.
Here is a warning to the wealthy about their actions.
Now lets make it clear here the apostle Paul states,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
Note it is the love of money that can cause problems. Money is an inanimate object it is neither good nor evil in and of itself. It is how it is used that cause the problem.
The warning James is making here is to tell the wealthy to live and use your wealth in a moral way. Not to take advantage of those who work for you or come in contact with you.
Many years ago when I was considering going into business a very wise person told me,
    “when you go into business make sure you can pay those who work for you a living wage. Not the minimum wage.”
 He noted the minimum wage was only put in place because some in the business owners would not without being forced pay even a subsistence wage which is what my friend believed minimum wage to be.
He noted again wisely that it was those who worked for the business owner who were the ones who helped make the business owner wealthy. That they should be rewarded for their labours even if it meant earning a little less profit.
James is telling all wealthy believers in Christ and for that matter everyone to treat their employees in a moral and ethical way.
This is what James is telling believers. He is warning them that while earthly judges may not judge them God will.
Please think about it.

Warning from Pergamum

Warning from Pergamum
The Apostle John records,
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.  
I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.  
Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  
Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” Revelations 2:12-17.
Here is what is commonly called the compromising church. Jesus states,
“I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.”
These people stayed true even when one of them Antipas was put to death. That being said this church let things go on that were not Christian. Jesus states,
“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.  
Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”
Balaam tried to turn the hearts of the children of Israel away from God. The Nicolatians were heretics who were teaching false doctrine.
Apparently the church at Pergamum was allowing this. They were compromising.
As Christians we cannot allow anything to be taught in our churches that is not in line with the word of God as presented in the holy scriptures.
Jesus call any church who is compromising to repent Jesus saying,
“Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
The way I read this is God himself will come against those who compromise. He will raise up men and women who will speak the truth about God. Loud and clear for all to hear. So that no one when judged by God can say they didn’t know the truth.  
For words are as sharp if not sharper than any two edged sword.
To those who do not compromise, to those who repent and overcome is given a prize. Jesus saying,
“To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”
The hidden manna suggests intimacy with Jesus. The white stone would have been seen by those who were in the Greek culture at the time as the custom of giving to the victor a white stone symbolizing victory.
We in the twenty-first century church need to look carefully at what we believe. We need to speak out against those who would try to compromise our faith.
The apostle Paul warned,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4
Paul also reminds Timothy and through him us,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2Timothy 2:15.
As believers in Christ we can do no less than do our best to handle the word of God correctly without compromise.
If we do so we will ultimately receive the victors prize from God himself.
Please think about it.  

Warning!

Warning!
The apostle Peter warns,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 2 Peter 2:1-3.
The apostle Paul echoes these words saying,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Later in the same letter to Timothy Paul writes,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
This is happening today in the twenty-first century. Living here in North America I see evidence of people frequently claiming to be Christians who are not. They misquote scripture. They twist the holy scriptures to conform to what they believe. They choose to teach only what they want people to here.
They are as the apostle Paul puts it,
 “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
Sadly it can be hard to tell who these people are when we see them in the media. We have no personal contact with them. Thus it’s hard to tell if they are living life the way they claim to be.
What Christians can however do is check every word they say from the scriptures. Find out for ones self if the way they are presenting scriptures is correct and not taken out of context.
One of the big things in North America is with evangelist and others in the media asking for money. Making the statements that if you give to God (usually meaning their ministry) God will give you back ten, a hundred or even a thousand times what you give. This is utter garbage. God is not a banker that gives super interest on your giving.
We should give to God’s work because we want to give. Not because we expect anything in return.
One pastor told me if you want to give to a specific Christian ministry ask to see where the money is going to. He even went as far as saying ask how much the evangelist salary is.
The purpose of giving to a ministry is to further the kingdom of God. To reach the lost and to help the poor. As a result a minister, or evangelist should get a good salary, but the bulk of the money given to any ministry should go directly to spreading the gospel.
Giving aside we should also be very careful about any teaching. We need to study the New Testament and indeed the whole bible for ourselves.
We need to become familiar with the scriptures for ourselves. We need to pray and ask God to show us the truths there in.
Remember the New Testament was written to ordinary people. Thus we can if we read carefully, understand them.
What I am trying to say here is what the apostles Peter and Paul are saying. Be careful. We are in a time when there is a lot being preached in the media and in some churches that are not of God.
You however as an individual are called to do as the apostle Paul told timothy,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,

 a workman who does not need to be ashamed 

and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 

2 Timothy 2:15.

Please think about it.